AFCEAN of the Month, December 2022
Shawn Cressman joined the Alamo Chapter in 2018 and immediately threw his full efforts into the Emerging Leaders program as the vice president.
Cressman continuously leveraged his experience, social network connections and chapter resources to plan successful professional development, mentoring and networking events for the chapter’s young professionals. His efforts directly contributed to the overall success of monthly networking events attracting upwards of 70 attendees at a time. His annual Mentor-Protégé Night serves as the crowning event for the chapter, where 70+ Emerging Leaders interact with leaders ranging from general officers and CEOs to subject-matter experts and leaders in the San Antonio cyber, intelligence and information technology community.
Community engagement has been a core tenant of Cressman’s efforts within the chapter, from San Antonio’s thriving start-up scene to supporting the chapter’s many military partners. Whether hosting tables at San Antonio’s Tech Trek, B-Sides conferences, robotics competitions or membership drives at local Air Force unit Commander’s Calls, Cressman ensures the Alamo Chapter maintains an active presence.
Cressman also saw an opportunity for further synergy between the chapter and Texas A&M San Antonio—a frequent Alamo scholarship recipient—for the formation of an AFCEA Student Chapter. At less than a month old, the student chapter has completed its bylaws and charter, elected student officers and is planning its first campus events—all under Cressman’s tutelage.
For the last three years, Cressman also has served as a member of the chapter’s Wounded Warriors and Military Families Endowment Fund committee, vetting donation recipient organizations, allowing the chapter to donate over $150,000 to 17 local Texas nonprofit programs, producing life-changing results through housing, mobility support and respite care for the most deserving warriors and families.
Cressman currently serves as the vice president of membership for one of the largest chapters in AFCEA. He hopes to continue the growth and successes of the Emerging Leaders program with an aggressive membership plan, adding new corporate, industry and military/government members. A contributing factor to the success will be continuing the efforts of the chapter’s Operation Lonesome Dove program, which provides outreach to members across Texas, including Dallas, Ft. Hood, Del Rio and San Angelo. It will also expand the chapter’s local presence in Austin.
During the day, Cressman is a business development analyst for Semper Valens Solutions, an SDVOSB provider of leading-edge services and solutions for the defense community. Cressman was previously recognized as a recipient of the Regional Distinguished Young AFCEAN Award and the Meritorious Service Award. In recognition of his consistent and continued service to the chapter, the great state of Texas and the entire AFCEA organization, AFCEA is proud to name Shawn Cressman AFCEAN of the month.
